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Flags at Fort Sam – Virtual Event

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Members of communities nationwide spend the Friday before Memorial Day honoring the men and women who sacrificed their lives while serving our nation. Here in the Alamo city, that community event is called Flags at Fort Sam. We pay our respects by placing American flags at the headstones of all the fallen service members who have been laid to rest at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. With over 1,000 participants each year, Flags at Fort Sam has been a long-standing tradition for the Alamo Area Council and the Scouting community.

This year, Flags at Fort Sam will look a little different. The Alamo Area Council alongside the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), is committed to observing this Memorial Day in a manner that honors those who sacrificed for our Nation. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the NCA has made the difficult decision to not host public events for Memorial Day. Therefore, the Alamo Area Council has moved Flags at Fort Sam to a virtual event for 2020.

Virtual Flags at Fort Sam – Friday, May 22, 2020 at sunset, 8:26 pm

We are asking all Scouts and their families to join us from their backyards, with their bugles and trumpets in hand, at sunset (8:26 pm) on Friday, May 22nd. Honoring our fallen heroes live on Facebook, the distinctive bugle melody TAPS will be played by a Scout of our very own. We invite you to pay your respects with us.

Throughout Memorial Day weekend, the Alamo Area Council will also be posting photos and video clips from previous Flags at Fort Sam events. We’d love to share your photos, video clips and your personal Memorial Day messages in conjunction with the Council’s memoriam. Please send them to FlagsatFortSam@AlamoAreaBSA.org.

On behalf of the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council, thank you to all those who laid down their life for the safety and freedom of our great nation, and we send our condolences to the family members who were left behind. We are forever grateful for the sacrifice your family made for our freedom.

“The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” -Proverbs 10:7

Details of Eagle Extensions Due To Corona Virus Challenges

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The Alamo Area Council Advancement Committee has developed procedures to help youth members apply for an extension for Eagle requirements if the Corona Virus inadvertently impacted their ability to complete them before their 18th birthday. The procedures follow guidelines published by the National Council BSA. Normally extensions to complete Eagle requirements after the 18th birthday can only be granted by the National Council and that still is the policy. However, local councils are allowed to grant up to a three month extension for Eagle requirements if the need is because of Corona Virus concerns. The deadline to apply for these extensions is 9/30/20.

Click on the link below to see the PDF containing AAC procedures and the required information form, National Guidelines on non Corona Virus related extensions, and the National Guidelines of Corona Virus related extension requests.

Extension Request

Coyote Districts First Virtual Eagle Scout – The legacy of an Eagle

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Mr. Ed Watson had the pleasure to watch his son, Matthew Watson of Troop 501, get his eagle rank at the Coyote Districts first virtual Eagle Board of Review last Thursday April 23rd, 2020.  On the Board was Mr. Grant Huguenin, Mr. Mark Wilder and Mr. John Payne.  Also Present was his Scoutmaster Mr. Scott Patton and Mr. Joe Skop to see this first virtual board.  Mr. Kevin Book, Committee Chair of Troop 345 was hosting the meeting with their troop Zoom account.   As if that were not enough, this is also a story of generations of Eagles.  While Matthew was in his board Mr. Ed Watson and I were in the “lobby” with the rest of the volunteers of the online meeting where he shared the story of his family and the legacy of scouting that we got to wittiness that night.

 

“During WW2, my dad was a marine in the jungles of the South Pacific. Shortly after arriving, he observed some marines very comfortable in the jungle; yet others were very uncomfortable. He asked the comfortable marines why. They replied that they were boy scouts.

After the war, my Dad wanted to earn his eagle. Unfortunately for him, the maximum age was changed to 18.

My dad really believed in scouting values and guided me toward the path he wanted. I made Eagle in 1963. Later, my 2 sons, Peter (1983) and Tim(1985), each earned the Eagle badge.

So, life took a curve and God blessed me the gift a 2nd family.  In the family tradition, my older son, Matthew (Gift of God) earned his eagle via zoom on April 23, 2020. His 12-year-old brother is 2nd class and wants to walk in his older brothers’ footsteps.

Hopefully, the tradition continues with something my dad started.”  

 

It is worth noting that Kevin Book has worked very hard with our eagle board chair and a team of volunteers to make this happen during this time of social distancing.  Thank you for your help!

Congratulations to Matthew and thank you to the entire Watson family for all they have done for scouting.

 

 

 

 

Abel Nunez of Troop 93 Earns Eagle Scout Online

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Please join me in congratulating Abel Nunez, of Scouts BSA Troop 93, for working through challenges and utilizing online tools to achieve Scouting’s highest rank – the Eagle Scout! The action picture to the left of this post features Abel’s dad, dog, Abel, and the Eagle Board on the computer screen in the background.

Good positive news stories are important for us to share! Pass it along! Let’s create some more good stories! The power of storytelling provides the best four-letter word in the English language – HOPE.

If you would like to help write and post stories for the Alamo Area Council, please email PR@AlamoAreaBSA.org for details. To share stories for consideration to post on the Council’s website and newsletters, email words, and photos or video links to eNews@AlamoAreaBSA.org.

Cheers,

Angel Zuniga Martinez, PR Director

Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council

Roadrunner’s first Zoom Eagle Scout

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Abel Nuñez poses in his Scouting uniform next to his projrct.

Roadrunner’s first Zoom Eagle Scout, Abel Nuñez from Troop 93, Chartered by the National Shooting Complex.

Abel is a music lover. He has played the double bass since fourth grade and is currently playing in the Taft High School Varsity Orchestra. When the time came to prepare for his Eagle project, Abel asked his former middle school orchestra teacher if he could do something to help the orchestra department. They talked about how difficult it was for the students to take the basses in and out of the lockers in the orchestra room and came up with the idea of building a bass rack to facilitate the process. He wanted to make it easier for the students to get ready for class. His middle school orchestra teacher helped Abel acquire an old bass rack that was going to be discarded. With the help of a local woodworker, Abel was then able to develop a design based on the old bass rack.

With Abel’s great leadership, a team of scouts and adults built an improved bass rack. After that, he presented the rack to the orchestra teacher at Briscoe Middle School who was very thankful for Abel’s contribution!

Scouting Adventures